Looking for love in Toronto is hard for everyone, and queer people will tell you: the pool is shallow and full of your exes. But a dating show making connections for 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians looking for love is making a comeback.
Dating Unlocked season two is premiering today, just in time for those of us who plan on binge-watching some queer content and pretending it’s not Valentine’s Day. Queer & Now spoke with the host of the Toronto-based series, Yaz Harris, to get the scoop on what to expect from season two, and spoiler alert: it’s steamy.
“All the queers are looking for love. So, there is no shortage of singles, or folks who are polyamorous, open, looking for additional partners, or people to fall in love with,” Harris explained.
“We just put a whole bunch of people in the studio, do some matchmaking behind the scenes prior to getting them all together so that we have the most likelihood of being able to find a match. And it’s good fun.”
So, what makes Dating Unlocked different from Netflix’s controversial, yet addictive, Queer Ultimatum?
“I’d say it’s definitely a lot less toxic. It is still reality TV in the sense that we are, you know, looking for excitement. But I don’t think that we’re trying to incite any drama or chaos in the same way that you might expect it from some of those other shows like Queer Ultimatum that are very produced,” Harris explained.
Additionally, the host says that Dating Unlocked has a wholesome element.
“There’s also a heavy element of like wholesomeness that sometimes you don’t get a lot of in reality television that [does not] feel very performative or overtly sexual, or very dramatic. There is an element of community and camaraderie that I think really makes the show feel different than some of the other ones out there.”
Another major difference? The Toronto-based series has a queer host, something Queer Ultimatum has come under fire for lacking.
“Obviously, we needed a queer host for the show, because it’s an all queer cast,” Harris explained, “I think that it’s important to have someone who’s actually a part of the community be the person who is asking the questions.”
Harris does not claim to be an expert on everything queer, but they explained that having someone who is a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community host the show allows for a greater understanding of different nuances and dynamics present in queer relationships.
“I’m able to pick up on certain things that someone who wasn’t a part of the queer community wouldn’t be able to, so I think that that is absolutely crucial.”
DATING UNLOCKED: SEASON TWO
So, what can viewers expect heading into season two of Dating Unlocked? Harris shared that fans of season one are in for a treat. The new season will contain their favourite elements, with some changes, including a new set and lots of new cast members.
“There’s always going to be a little bit of something different, with new perspectives and folks involved in the show,” Harris said, adding that it’s a step up from everything we saw in season one.
“Something that you can look forward to is a lot of really hot cast members [and] a lot of really fascinating conversations related to consent related to expressing desires. I think that it’s a fantastic example of how to communicate in sexual, romantic, even platonic ways that you can take as inspiration for your own life, it’s like a teaching moment.”
Something we see a lot in mainstream media is the narrative that 2SLGBTQ+ people are unanimously hyper-sexual. Our identities are often hyper-sexualized on screen in an effort to make content more appealing to heterosexual audiences. While representation is nice, oversexualizing our experience is not conducive to queer people.
While the show is a mix of sensual and silly, with different games and experiences for a new dater and their potential matches in each episode, Dating Unlocked walks a fine line between being sexy, without sensationalizing queer communities. So, how does the series manage to avoid this?
“I think that a really big factor… is who is behind the camera, and who is involved in the creation of whatever project it is. So, having a bunch of queer people involved in every step of the process, they’re going to, I think in the case of the show, really pay attention to the other qualities of being queer that maybe we don’t get to see a lot of, like being wholesome,” Harris explained. “Like being just like, silly and playful and cute and sweet.”
Harris explained the show is easy for anyone to enjoy, but it’s mostly for us, meaning that the team behind the series is not relying on sex appeal to market the show.
“Because it’s made for queer folks, we know that we don’t need to convince them to love it and watch it just because it’s super hot, in the same way that you might need to do that if your main kind of demographic was people outside of the community.”
Those who have watched season one know all about the host’s dazzling outfits and major fashion moments. They shared that we can expect even more fashion inspo in the new season.
“I think people can look forward to some really fun and silly moments and great outfits on my end.”
Season two of Dating Unlocked premieres today, February 14 and can be streamed here.
